Summer in Central Park
by AragothwinElfBlade
Summary: Chloe is in NYC, and shares lunch. A crossover with CSI: NY that may or may not be continued.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a CSI:NY crossover. I know the timelines don't line up, so sue me. 24 is Post-Day 5, and CSI:NY is just after season 1. Depending on the responses, I may continue this as a Danny/Chloe story. As Day 5 continues, I'm getting so pissed with TPTB that it's hard for me to write J/C anymore.

* * *

Chloe had no idea how she came to be eating cannolis in Central Park with a stranger whose smile was broken. The taste of chocolate and ricotta coated her mouth. As if reading her mind, he handed her the bottle of water they were sharing. Cool liquid eased the dryness the sticky filling caused. She gave him a weak smile, which he returned in kind.

"You got a name, blondie?" His accent was so thick she was fairly sure she could cut it into chunks and use it to flavor the pastries.

Nodding, she replied, "Chloe. I'm from LA. Who are you?"

The stranger hesitated for a moment, then answered. "Danny, from Staten Island."

The crisp shell crunched between her teeth as she considered him. Neither wanted to say anything, unwilling to break the strange, fragile thread that ran between them like gossamer strand. He handed her a second cannoli before taking another for himself.

Comfortable silence had settled into place. The water bottle was passed back and forth, and Chloe couldn't bring herself to care she was trading salvia samples with a complete stranger. It was nice being with someone like this. No expectations, no worrying about saying the wrong thing, just two people enjoying being near someone else. Not to mention the cannolis were great.

"Chloe," Danny's question was hesitant, "I know this is nuts, but I guess I just need an outside opinion."

Shrugging, Chloe replied, "Go ahead. I don't mind."

"Am I a bad person?"

It seemed to be important to him, so Chloe honestly assessed her answer. "I don't know," she admitted. "I'd like to think you're not. But I just met you in the park and only know you like cannolis." They both considered this for a moment. Figuring it was good a time as any, Chloe asked, "Danny, is there something wrong with me?"

"Hell, no." His violent protest startled her. "You're just fine, and saner than a lot of people I know." Grinning, he added, "Despite the fact you eat cannolis with strange men in the park."

That made her smile. "You're not a strange man anymore. After all, I know you're Danny from Staten Island, you like cannolis, and your guilt complex rivals Jack's."

Continuing the joke, Danny replied, "And you're Chloe from LA, you like cannolis, and your dating prospects are all idiots. Who's Jack?"

A wry grin, "One of my dating prospects."

"Oh, he's an idiot then. If he wasn't, he wouldn't let you eat cannolis with strange men."

"In the park," Chloe reminded him. The banter had made the thread more tangible, but no less fine. They reverted back to munching, splitting the final cannoli. Ever the gentleman, Danny let Chloe drink the last of the water.

Without the food, there was no reason for them to stay here together, but both were loathed to leave. It was no longer about the crisp pastry with sweet filling, or the water to rinse away the cloying aftertaste. Two people, tired of being judged and ostracized, just wanted a campanion for a time. Not for long, just a little bit. Long enough to find some measure of peace from their hurts.

As Chloe watched, the thread thickened slightly, but remained ethereal and delicate. It looked as if a sudden breeze would snap it in half. She didn't dare so much as twitch, fearing to loose the hold, no matter how insubstantial it was.

Seeing the change as well, Danny remarked, "Spider silk is one of the strongest materials in the world." Tension seeped out of Chloe's shoulders. With a final smile she picked up her bag and walked away into the crowd.

The connection twisted and glittered, stretching to follow her, in the broken light that trickled through the canopy. A strand of spider silk binding two strangers with nothing in common except lonely pain and cannolis.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Because there was a request, I'm making it a mini-story. Danny Messer vs. Jack Bauer for Chloe's affections. That is the power of reviewing.

* * *

Danny was doing his best to avoid Mac at all costs. He'd retreated to his personal lab to analyze the soil samples from his latest case. There was a hell of a lot grating on his nerves and it was giving him a migraine. Giving up on trying to isolate specific characteristics without aspirin, he headed to the break room for a re-fill on his coffee.

The hot, bitter liquid splashed into the dirty mug. Some landed on the ball of Danny's thumb leaving angry red marks on pale skin. He flinched but didn't make a sound. There was a soft gasp behind him. He turned in surprise to see his blondie standing in the doorway. "Chloe?"

"Danny," the surprised statement slipped from her mouth before she even thought about it. She had come looking for coffee. Jack was getting grumpy, Chloe was hoping to stem it by supplying massive amounts of caffeine. The marine-cop's Greek goddess had pointed her towards the break room. She arrived to see the man from the park pouring himself a some coffee. "You're a cop?"

The startled expression on Danny's face was replaced with a grin, "Me, a cop. Naw, I'm a CSI, a geek."

Chloe gave him a shy smile, "So am I."

Cocking his head to one side, Danny asked in puzzlement, "You're a CSI?"

"No," Chloe snickered, "I'm a geek. I play with computers for the CTU."

The migraine was gone. Danny slid his mug of coffee towards her over the break room table. "CTU, I'm not familiar with that one." He pulled out a chair for Chloe to sit in before taking a seat across from her.

Settled, Chloe responded, "Counter-Terrorist Unit, I'm with the LA branch."

There was a grin from Danny at that. "Cool. So you're like, the female James Bond or somethin'? 'Cept you're in LA."

"If only," Chloe sighed. "It's a whole lot less glamorous."

Nodding empathetically, Danny agreed, "Yeah. I know the feeling. People watch cop shows and think they know everything."

"So I don't?" Chloe deadpanned.

Danny blinked then his smile grew wider. "Nope, but I'd be willing to teach you."

Looking like a deer in the headlights, Chloe asked cautiously, "Are you…?"

"Here's my cell," Danny scrawled it on a spare evidence tag in his pocket. He slid the paper over to her. "Call me when you can. I know a nice Greek place near the cannoli stand in Central park we like." Chloe reached over to take the paper, Danny rested his hand on top of her smaller one. "Don't bother with anything fancy. You look good enough we could get into Four Seasons on that smile of your's alone."

Blushing furiously, Chloe nodded. "I'll call." With another smile, Danny left. As he brushed by, he dragged his fingertips over Chloe's shoulder. She shivered slightly at the contact returning the smile with a brilliant one of her own.

Danny ducked by the sandy-blonde man standing at the break room entrance. Still floating on the gentle high of being with Chloe, he gave the guy a friendly grin. "'cuse me, buddy," and ran straight into Mac. The good feeling vanished immediately.

Alone, Chloe smiled down at the slip of paper. Biting her lip eagerly, she glanced around before looking down at the evidence label. There was Danny's name, his cell phone, and the simple words 'drop me a line, blondie.' It wasn't the best pick-up she'd ever heard but so distinctly Danny.

"Chloe," Jack demanded, "Who is that guy?"

A steel rod rammed its way down Chloe's spine. She clutched the pieced of paper and glared at Jack as if she was afraid he was going to take it away. "A friend," she snapped. "The coffee's over there." The coffee mug she had was Danny's, and she was keeping it.

Jack gave her one of his own looks in return. Chloe kept her lips sealed. The last thing she needed was Jack trying to control her love life.


End file.
